I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 126

 

It’s been called the plague without a name, and only recently was it given the name Monstera.

 

Ugh. I swallowed dryly.

 

No wonder Nancy hadn’t been able to show her father to the capitol.

 

“Nancy. I appreciate that you trusted me and came clean.”

 

But part of me was angry.

 

“But this isn’t right.”

 

Monstera was an epidemic.

 

It wasn’t just a problem for Nancy and her family.

 

Perhaps, just possibly, Nancy’s father could spread the plague throughout the empire.

 

And to try to hide such a dangerous plague.

 

Meeting my cold eyes, Nancy sobbed, “No, Leen. If I knew my father had the plague, I would have reported it at once.”

 

“Then why…!”

 

“Believe me. What my father has is not a plague. The symptoms are very similar to the Monstera, but he hasn’t spread it to anyone.”

 

Suddenly, a sensation like a thunderbolt struck my body.

 

Images of my mom and dad flashed through my head.

 

“We’re a big family, and our house is small, so we’re always crowded together. After my dad got sick, we gave him his room, but my siblings and I took turns taking care of him.”

 

Nancy’s voice rises as she looks at me.

 

“But no one in my family ever got sick.”

 

According to Abascanthus, the incubation period was a week at most.

 

If what she said was true, it made some sense that the disease wasn’t monstera.

 

My late parents’ illness had the same symptoms as plague, but was not contagious.

 

Was my parents’ illness something else?

 

I needed to know. I stammered and asked her.

 

“Can I… do you think I could meet your father?”

 

“Actually, I wrote the letter to you because I thought you might know something, and I was trying to find a way to get in touch with you.”

 

“…You didn’t write anything but regards in your letter.”

 

Bitterness rose on her face.

 

“I’m sorry I only contacted you at a time like this, but I couldn’t write. I felt like I was taking advantage of you.”

 

“Nancy. That’s not taking advantage of me. As a friend, this is just a favor.”

 

Yes, Nancy was this kind of girl. She hated hurting others.

 

She knew it was a plague, but she wasn’t stupid enough to hide it.

 

Nancy’s expression darkened as if she realized something.

 

“Besides… I know nothing can fix him now, and it’s too late to cure him.”

 

“But let me see him.”

 

I have a medicine I made. If it was the same disease my parents had, it would work.

 

It wouldn’t be a cure, but it would slow the progression of the disease.

 

Suddenly, the wooden clock on the wall came into view. The appointment was already over.

 

No wonder.

 

I patted her back comfortingly, “I have work to do. I’ll take care of it as soon as I can and come back to the center. By the way, what time does the clinic close?”

 

She pursed her lips a few times, as if to say she was fine. But eventually,

 

“…It’s open 24 hours, so you can come anytime.”

 

She meant that she would let me see her father.

 

Despite her words, Nancy had the eyes of someone who had already given up.

 

I squeezed her hand and said, “I’ll be back in time.”

 

🍃

 

“Hah.”

 

Fjord sighed heavily, waiting for the blind date he was supposed to meet today.

 

‘I said I wouldn’t go, and my brother was so mad at me.’

 

He sang to me that if I didn’t go this time, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

 

I was a little curious, so I asked him to give me a sneak peek of the portrait, so I could see for myself.

 

After fighting with my brother for a few days, I finally decided that I felt dirty and left.

 

Fjord was confident that he wouldn’t be intimidated by any appearance, as he had a colorful history in the academy.

 

Besides, I already have a girl I like, so I don’t really want to see anyone else.

 

Anyway.

 

Why are you out here, Leen…?

 

His jaw dropped. Leen checked her seat again several times to make sure she wasn’t the only one surprised, then asked in disbelief.

 

“You can’t be, the blind date?”

 

“I… am.”

 

When Fjord confirmed in a shaky voice, Leen burst out laughing.

 

“Hahaha, was it you who said that you don’t lack for anything, status, looks, personality?”

 

Leen sat down across from Fjord with a much brighter face.

 

“Wow. If nothing else, your personality is one of the things that everyone is fooled by.”

 

Fjord felt his face burn at Leen’s laughter.

 

“…Laugh it off reasonably!”

 

“What’s the matter, you said you weren’t looking for a girl, and now you’re thinking about meeting one?”

 

“…How did you even come out here, did my brother ask you to?”

 

“Brother, you mean Lou, no, he didn’t ask me, I didn’t know you would be here either.”

 

Fjord stared at Leen with a complicated expression on his face.

 

He wasn’t sure if he should treat Leen like a blind date or if they were friends, and he should just chat.

 

Fjord was having a serious thought. Leen gave him an encouraging smile.

 

“I’m glad it’s you. I was actually just checking.”

 

Fjord’s brow creased.

 

“In the confirmation? What if it was someone other than me?”

 

He was oblivious to the fact that he, too, was on the confirmation.

 

Leen shrugged, her countenance dignified.

 

“My aunt got really mad at me, so I tried to come out once, but I got a boyfriend halfway through.”

 

“And Carson?”

 

“I ditched him.”

 

Fjord looked at Leen with a wistful glance.

 

“If Carson finds out it’s me on a blind date…”

 

“He’ll be there soon. Goodbye. It’s been a pleasure, Fjord.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m just kidding, I’ve got you covered, don’t worry.“

 

“If you tell Carson, it’s over, isn’t it?”

 

“You don’t trust me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Leen clicked her tongue at the casual answer.

 

“You don’t trust your friend that much.”

 

She stood up from her seat, having barely sat down.

 

Ever since hearing Nancy’s story, she had been in a constant state of urgency. She wanted to get the medicine and see how her father was doing as soon as possible.

 

“Now that I know it’s you, we don’t have to go around in circles. I’ll get up first.”

 

“…You’re leaving already? Do you always disappear like lightning?”

 

Fjord scrambled to his feet, following Leen.

 

“Sorry, I have a real emergency. I’ll write a letter for you.”

 

“I don’t accept letters of reflection under five pages.”

 

“Ew. That’s too much.”

 

After a small grumble, Leen clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

 

“Oh, right. There’s something I need to tell you before we go.”

 

“What is it.”

 

She drew a ‘V’ with her hand and said proudly.

 

“I’m officially going out with Caon.”

 

For a moment, Fjord’s face stiffened. But then one corner of his mouth quirked up.

 

“…Really? I was wondering when you two were going to get together.”

 

“Thanks for the congratulations.”

 

“I didn’t congratulate you, you dirty couple.”

 

“Yeah. Screw you and your dirty couples.”

 

Leen turned around without hesitation.

 

“…Are you sure you want to go?”

 

At that, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at Fjord.

 

Leen stared into Fjord’s clear green eyes and spoke with sincerity.

 

“I want you to meet someone good, and I want you to be serious about it.”

 

“Who ruined my blind date today?”

 

“Ugh. I can’t hear you, what did you say, get lost? Okay, okay, I’ll go first then. Bye.”

 

Fjord stared after Leen’s back.

 

Once Leen was out of sight, he ran a hand through his hair and banged his head on the table.

 

“Stupid bastard.”

 

An indescribable emotion rose up in me. I didn’t know if it was anger or sadness.

 

🍃

 

Bang—!

 

Lou put down the quill pen he had been fiddling with and calmed down.

 

“Fjord, no matter how urgent it is, you should at least knock and come in.”

 

“I’m not in the mood.”

 

Lou’s gaze snapped to Fjord, who was holding a bottle of liquor in one hand, out of character.

 

“… Did you drink?”

 

“I didn’t even confess to anything.”

 

“Why can’t you catch her when given the chance? Even if you’re rejected, you should at least confess so you don’t regret it.”

 

“It’s not that I didn’t, it’s that I couldn’t. Can you afford to lose two friends at once?”

 

“Some people love more than friendship.”

 

“At least I’m not one of them.”

 

“That’s too bad.”

 

“And…”

 

Lou tilted his head at Fjord, who was still trailing off.

 

“And?”

 

“They’re dating.”

 

Lou closed and re-opened his eyes silently.

 

With a hint of regret in his eyes, Fjord spoke apologetically.

 

“I’m happy being friends.”

 

Fjord’s eyes filled with tears as he said it. Satisfied, as if he were a member of House Ananas.

 

“…I see.”

 

Fjord walked over to Lou and set the bottle down with a thud on the desk.

 

“You’ll at least be my drinking buddy after what you did, right?” said Fjord.

 

“Of course.”

 

🍃

 

After parting ways with Fjord, Leen hurried to the carriage that was waiting for her.

 

She was glad that her blind date was Fjord, as it meant that the parting was quick and uneventful.

 

“It seems like every time we meet, we immediately part ways.”

 

Feeling unnecessarily sorry for him. Leen was beginning to think she should invite them to the Duke’s residence for dinner next time.

 

A passerby bumped into her slightly.

 

“Oops, sorry.”

 

Blaming herself for not looking ahead, Leen apologized and started walking again.

 

She thought a simple apology was all that was needed.

 

But the passerby grabbed her arm.

 

“Where do you think you’re going without me?”

 

Leen’s entire body froze at the sound of his voice.

 

It was the voice that haunted her nightmares.

 

A voice she never wanted to hear again, a voice so terrifying.

 

As if to show respect for her stillness, Rex Begonia leaned down and whispered low in her ear.

 

“Found you, my love.”

 

His voice was joyful, like a song.